7.01.2012

When coming from one of the biggest schools that feeds into UT, the world gets pretty small, pretty fast. Especially in the Greek community, almost everyone you meet has some relation to you--their mom was in your aunt's pledge class, their dad went on his first date with your mom's best friend, and many of us are even distantly related. As fun as it is to be one big happy family, every once in awhile it's nice to step out of the bubble and enter uncharted territory, to go some place where everybody doesn't know your name (so, yes, that excludes you, Cheers on 6th Street).

This summer, many of my friends are doing just that, giving me a severe case of wanderlust. I'm already dreaming of what I could conjure up for next summer. But, for today, let's take a quick trip around the world with my globetrotter friends.

Jenny - Buenos Aires, Argentina
We'll start by going just south with my friend Jenny, who is no stranger to world travels. She became a traveling enthusiast after a life-altering experience spending her junior year of high school in Spain. Her time there helped her become practically fluent in Spanish, so she's now putting these skills to good use spending the first part of this summer in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. JT is one of these friends that makes you think a little bit harder, push yourself a little further, and step outside of your comfort zone; I appreciate those people in my life, mostly because they can be so rare to come by. She's even got me thinking of applying to be a Normandy Scholar at UT--a program that allows students to explore World War II for an entire semester from all different angles, all leading up to a trip in May in which you explore all the significant war sites in Europe with your fellow scholars.

Mollie - Beijing, China
And of course, we wouldn't have all the continents covered without Miss Mollie, making her mark in Asia. We talked this morning (11pm her time, 10am mine!) and she's already trudged up the Great Wall, witnessed her friends swallow scorpions, and has noted the drastic difference in Chinese dating customs.

Julianne - Mount Ida, Arkansas
Now for a friend who's still in driving distance from me--Julianne is a counselor at Camp Ozark in Arkansas this summer. My brother went there for a year (and even got the Order of the Arrow), but never returned. Our family was kind of camp hoppers, with at least one of us attending Longhorn, Ozark, Olympia and Laity Lodge. Anyway, Jules is hard at work catering to 9-year-olds and trying to tame 13-year-olds. It takes a big heart, a person of patience, and someone who can tolerate a lot of Justin Bieber and "Call Me Maybe" to perform this job well, and I can't think of someone more perfect for the job. But, selfishly, I can't wait for her to be home just a few streets down the road again!

Katie - Cape Town, Africa
My grand-big (so my big's big) went on a program through the University of Georgia called Global Lead in Cape Town. Africa is becoming quite the hotspot among my friends as I've mentioned before. This trip specifically has stirred up so much excitement among my friends that Merl's already got it on her mind for next summer. They spend time in all environments from the classroom to crawling through the Congo Caves; they ride elephants and even get the opportunity to jump off the highest bungee jump in the world!

Caroline - Italy
Caroline left for Italy last Thursday and while I don't have any pictures to share, I'm sure her mom will come back with an album full as is tradition for all Hickey family vacays. Other than taking in the breathtaking views like in the pictures above, I'm sure they are staying plenty full off pizza pies, pasta, bruschetta and gelato.

May, Macy & Ellie - Spain & France
And, of course, many of my college friends (mostly older Kappas) are exploring Europe on their summer study abroad. France and Spain are the most popular destinations, as one could have guessed. I get goosebumps just imagining my summer/semester abroad. All my sisters did it and my dad spent a semester in Avignon, France. I don't know a single person that doesn't come back raving from their time spent abroad, and I'm sure I'll feel the same way. I've been itching to get back ever since I boarded the plane in Paris returning from our trip to visit Carolyn.

Mimi - Greece
Last but not least is Mimi who just returned from venturing through the ancient city of Athens. She went through a UT organization called Campus Crusades; the program had them sharing the Gospel with Greek student for six weeks. I can barely wait to hear about her experience when I see her next!

{me, kat, isabel, & molly}
As for me, I'm in indulging in being an all-American girl, spending my weekends on jetskis with my girlfriends, reading Elle magazines while basking in the Texas sun, and eating New York Strips and milkshakes under fireworks-filled skies on Lake LBJ. I certainly can't complain.

welcome

My middle name and blogging nom de plume is Bridget. Bridget's Own Diary is my ode to life, complete with daily doses of fashion, music, food and the other bites of life I find noteworthy. Please, pull up a chair and stay awhile.